Precision Shaped Grain

3M’s proprietary Precision-Shaped Grain technology acts like a cutting tool, slicing through metal like a knife. The material is continuously self-sharpening, as points break off during use to expose new sharp edges – slicing cleaner and faster, staying cooler and lasting many times longer.

3M’s breakthrough in microreplication, to make sol gel derived abrasives to the exact size and shape required for each grinding application enabled the team to significantly increase grinding performance of 3M™ Cubitron™ II products. With this technology, the spatial geometry of the grains is precisely controlled, because the grains are manufactured as tiny, precisely shaped structures, and then coated onto the abrasive. With their consistent shape and sharpness, as well as the fact that they continuously fracture during use to form sharp points and edges, Precision-Shaped Grains provide a fast and consistent cut.

Optimizing Abrasive Performance

In their article, "Optimizing Abrasive Performance for Post Casting Operations", Mike Nelson and John Barry of 3M Abrasive Systems Division, describe the factors impacting abrasive belt performance and success factors in performing post casting gate removal. This article was published in the July 2013 Issue of INCAST Magazine, a publication of the Investment Casting Institute.